Sergeant Major Al’Kedra Tyler

July 2024 Issue

by Edwina Hoyle
Photography provided by by Sgt. Major Al’Kedra Tyler

Al’Kedra Tyler saw her first Marine when she was a sophomore in high school in Elizabeth City, NC. “I saw him walk down the hall, and he was like a vision of a Marine on the cover of a magazine. From that moment, I always wanted to do that, be a Marine. So, I joined the Junior ROTC, but it was Air Force. I found all the Marine commercials, graphics, weapons, uniforms, and posters enticing. I met the Marine recruiter in my junior year.”

“Mom was completely against the Marine Corps. She tried to talk me out of it, but I was stubborn,” Al’Kedra said. A week after graduating high school, she moved to San Antonio with a few friends. “It wasn’t working, so I called the recruiter, and he got me in. I was in boot camp for a week before I called my mother. It was May, and it was very hot here at Parris Island. I was only 100 pounds, very small, and I felt like I was wasting away. I was burning through calories, and it felt like I couldn’t eat enough or drink enough water to get through boot camp. But I made it.”

Twenty-two years later, Sergeant Major Al’Kedra Tyler is stationed at Marine Corps Depot on Parris Island. This time, she is the supervisor of all the trainers—about 140 drill sergeants, series commanders and company commanders. “I’m passionate about my job, especially when I manage personnel and help them deal with problems. I like the fact they’re willing to talk to me. They trust me. To help a Marine makes me feel productive, and when I’m productive, I’ve had a good day. It’s the best part of the job.”

Although she’s come full circle back to Parris Island, it was a long and circuitous route.

Al’Kedra’s first duty station was at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina where she served as a generator mechanic. Her commander pushed her to further her success. “He told me I needed to learn more. I worked in Motor Transportation for four months. Then he sent me to the Engine Platoon, and after that to the welding shop. He was really hard on me, he was previously a drill sergeant.”

Al’Kedra was deployed to Kuwait because of her vast knowledge and skillset. She was sent on a humanitarian mission to Haiti. She performed security guard duty in Trinidad and Berlin at the U.S. Embassies. In Japan, she was a generator mechanic. She was also sent to a Marine Corps base in California and was deployed to Iraq as a Sergeant Engineer Mechanic.

Roughly eight years after enlisting, her son, Xavier, was born, and Al’Kedra’s obligations and deployments presented challenges as she juggled motherhood with career. Her mother helped care for Xavier, and Al’Kedra credits her as an amazing example of leadership and support.

Next, she was deployed to Afghanistan, then back to North Carolina as an engineer equipment chief. Then she was given the opportunity to teach at the Leadership Academy at Camp Johnson in North Carolina, so she spent two years teaching leadership, communication, and physical training.

Throughout her career, Al’Kedra took advantage of every opportunity, but she desperately wanted to be a drill sergeant. Her commanding officer discouraged her, telling her it might be too rigorous of a job for her to handle. She insisted she was up to the challenge, so he went to bat for her. She was a drill sergeant for 40 long months and still can’t get the taste out of her mouth: “I ate some humble pie.”

She was then assigned as an independent instructor for reserve units in Florida. “Each month about 250 reservists would report for monthly training. “I’m quiet and reserved, but I had to make ties in the community, and I had collateral duties like funeral details, Toys for Tots, and death announcements. I had to get in touch with my human side.”

Xavier is now 14 years old, and his little brother, Dylan, is 4. Al’Kedra said, “Xavier wants me to retire. He doesn’t want to move every two years. He wants his little brother to grow up living in the same neighborhood, going to the same school with the same friends. I have a year left to make my decision. I’m at a fork in the road where I must choose the Marine Corps or family, but every female in the Corps eventually has to make this choice.” Al’Kedra reflected. Xavier is her personal job-searching researcher. “He thinks I should be an ROTC trainer because it would be the best of both worlds if I trained the next generation of Marines. He’s very intuitive and asks me ‘what is my fear?’ He says I must be honest with myself.”

 

Up Close:

• Al’Kedra loves to go to the gym and hopes to get back into female body building competition.

• Riding motorcycles and reading books about leadership skills are at the top of Al’Kedra’s “Get To-Do!” list.

• Al’Kedra is one serious person—“I’m very structured and not at all spontaneous.” Xavier is helping to expand her horizons outside the Marines with activities like driving go-karts, playing mini golf, and taking a trip to Lego Land. (Xavier is one, smart young man!)